Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Deriyan Woodson, age 27, of Orlando, Florida yesterday to 16 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for interstate domestic violence.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Gregory J. Der of the Howard County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, in May 2017, Woodson met a 17-year-old female (Victim 1) on a social media platform and began communicating with Victim 1 via facetime, messaging applications, and other social media platforms. Victim 1 resided in Florida with her father at the time. Eventually, Victim 1 met Woodson in person and left her Florida home to be with and date Woodson as a romantic partner.
According to police reports, Victim 1’s parents reported Victim 1 as a missing child in July 2017. From July 15, 2017, to July 21, 2017, Victim 1 stayed with Woodson in a Florida hotel. Woodson knew she was on probation for assault stemming from a prior romantic relationship. Woodson also was aware that Victim 1 was 17 years old at the time.
On July 21, 2017, Victim 1 left Florida and traveled unaccompanied to her mother’s Halethorpe, Maryland home on a greyhound bus. Initially, Victim 1 planned to finish high school in Maryland then return to Florida to reside with Woodson. While traveling to Victim 1’s mother’s house, Victim 1 remained in communication with Woodson on social media and other free texting applications.
Once Victim 1 arrived in Maryland, Woodson became controlling of Victim 1 and demanded that Victim 1 remain at home and not interact with any of Victim 1’s friends. As a result, Victim 1 stopped communicating with Woodson. In response, Woodson demanded that Victim 1 return to Florida and excessively called Victim 1’s mother’s Halethorpe, Maryland residence where Victim 1, Victim 1’s mother, and grandmother resided. Victim 1’s mother instructed Woodson to cease communication.
As stated in her plea agreement, Victim 1’s mother reported Woodson’s excessive communications to Florida police. As a result, an officer with the Kissimmee Police Department Unit wrote Woodson a letter demanding that Woodson cease all communication attempts with Victim 1 and warned Woodson that felony charges may follow suit based on Woodson’s “history”. In response, Woodson posted a redacted version of the letter on one of her social media accounts with a caption that included the phrase “How are you trying to put me in jail when my probation is 3 days away”.
On July 30, 2017, Woodson traveled from Orlando, Florida to Maryland where Woodson entered Victim 1’s residence and duct taped Victim 1’s grandmother’s hands together. When Woodson heard Victim 1 and a friend (Victim 2) enter the residence, Woodson confronted Victim 1 and Victim 2 with a handgun and kitchen knife.
Woodson pointed the handgun at Victim 2 and ordered Victim 2 to go down to the basement. Woodson then held the gun at Victim 1’s head and ordered Victim 1 into Woodson’s car. Woodson then stabbed Victim 1 and assaulted Victim 1 with the gun. At some point during the night, Woodson forced Victim 1 out of her car at a residential area in Howard County where they ran on foot until they located a hotel in Elkridge, Maryland. Police later recovered Woodson’s gun and shoes in the area.
As detailed in her plea agreement, after a hotel clerk observed Victim 1’s wounds, the clerk contacted the police. Howard County Police Department officers (HCPD) arrived at the hotel and identified Victim 1 as a minor that had been recently reported as missing. HCPD officers then arrested Woodson and transported Victim 1 to a hospital where she was treated for an orbital fracture and multiple stab wounds to the head, hands, and one eyelid.
After Baltimore County Police Department officers read Woodson her Miranda rights, Woodson informed officers that she drove from Orlando, Florida to Maryland to take Victim 1 back to Florida. Woodson also claimed that Victim 1 willingly left the Halethorpe residence, and that Victim 1 wanted to return to Florida. Woodson also informed BCPD officers that she duct taped Victim 1’s grandmother’s hands together, had a gun and knife and that the weapons were already located at Victim 1’s residence.
Victim 1 later informed investigators that Woodson had at least two cell phones that she would contact her on. Investigators subsequently executed a search warrant on one of Woodson’s cell phones and discovered a series of text messages between Woodson and Victim 1. The text messages directly contradicted Woodson’s claim that Victim 1 asked Woodson to pick her up in Maryland and that Victim 1 wished to return to Florida with Woodson.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the BCPD, HCPD, and the Kissimmee Police Department (Florida) for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and LaRai N. Everett, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and domestic violence resources, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/victim-witness-assistance.
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